Ask anyone who had the good fortune to work with former Evergreen Newspapers publisher Brad Bradberry about their old boss, and they’ll tell you about the best boss they ever had.

“He always had faith in his employees,” says graphic designer Jeanne Ehmsen. “If you had a good idea, he’d let you run with it, and that’s pretty rare in this business. In a lot of ways, he was more like a father figure than a boss.”

Each ornament adorning the tall Christmas tree at Laund-Ur-Mutt serves as a reminder that, for some, dogs are more than man’s best friend.

The centerpiece of the Ken-Caryl business’ retail floor contains a couple dozen ornaments, each bearing the picture of a recently adopted dog. But these pups aren’t destined for life as ordinary pets. Rather, they are training for a life of service to the disabled.

“What I like about it is, it helps pets, but it also helps people,” said Dawn Olson, owner of Laund-Ur-Mutt.

Sometimes it’s the simplest — or most basic — needs that go overlooked.

A group of eighth-grade yearbook students at Falcon Bluffs Middle School sought to help others during the holidays. While they could have done a canned food or clothing drive, the students settled on something often overlooked in the spirit of giving: diapers.

The end result was about $1,000 in diapers donated to mothers through Catholic Charities.

“We got the idea on a Friday, and we had all the posters and everything up on Tuesday,” said Samantha Tilson.

Littleton Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo has made a name for himself on the national stage with his relentless pursuit of immigration reform, controversial statements and a presidential bid.

And while Tancredo’s name has practically become a household word, the names of those vying to replace him are not. Several area Republicans have tossed their hats in the ring to replace Tancredo — state Sen. Ted Harvey, Secretary of State Mike Coffman, Wil Armstrong and state Sen. Steve Ward — and all could face off in next fall’s primary.